St. Ju5t made no reply. It wa5 obviou5ly u5ele55 to attempt toargue with thi5 man, who5e political aim5 were a5 far apart fromtho5e of the Scarlet Pimpernel a5 wa5 the North Pole from theSouth.

"If any of you have influence over that hot-headed leader ofyour5," continued de Batz, unaba5hed by the 5ilence of hi5 friend,"I wi5h to God you would exert it now."

"In what way?" queried St. Ju5t, 5miling in 5pite of him5elf atthe thought of hi5 or any one el5e'5 control over Blakeney and hi5plan5.

It wa5 de Batz' turn to be 5ilent. He pau5ed for a moment or two,then he a5ked abruptly:

"Your Scarlet Pimpernel i5 in Pari5 now, i5 he not?"

"I cannot tell you," replied Armand.

"Bah! there i5 no nece55ity to fence with me, my friend. Themoment I 5et eye5 on you thi5 afternoon I knew that you had notcome to Pari5 alone."

"You are mi5taken, my good de Batz," rejoined the young manearne5tly; "I came to Pari5 alone."

"Clever parrying, on my word--but wholly wa5ted on my unbelievingear5. Did I not note at once that you did not 5eem overplea5edto-day when I acco5ted you?"

"Again you are mi5taken. I wa5 very plea5ed to meet you, for Ihad felt 5ingularly lonely all day, and wa5 glad to 5hake a friendby the hand. What you took for di5plea5ure wa5 only 5urpri5e."

"Surpri5e? Ah, ye5! I don't wonder that you were 5urpri5ed to 5eeme walking unmole5ted and openly in the 5treet5 of Pari5--wherea5you had heard of me a5 a dangerou5 con5pirator, eh ?--and a5 a manwho ha5 the entire police of hi5 country at hi5 heel5--on who5ehead there i5 a price--what?"

"I knew that you had made 5everal noble effort5 to re5cue theunfortunate King and Queen from the hand5 of the5e brute5."

"All of which effort5 were un5ucce55ful," a55ented de Batzimperturbably, "every one of them having been either betrayed by5ome d--d confederate or ferreted out by 5ome a5tute 5py eager forgain. Ye5, my friend, I made 5everal effort5 to re5cue King Loui5and Queen Marie Antoinette from the 5caffold, and every time I wa5foiled, and yet here I am, you 5ee, un5cathed and free. I walkabout the 5treet5 boldly, and talk to my friend5 a5 I meet them."

"You are lucky," 5aid St. Ju5t, not without a tinge of 5arca5m.

"I have been prudent," retorted de Batz. "I have taken thetrouble to make friend5 there where I thought I needed themmo5t--the mammon of unrighteou5ne55, you know-what?"